A Family’s First 90 Days

Part II: The Perspective from Those Who Shelter

If you want to know how the Case Management team works with a family, Renee Stevens, newly appointed Executive Director and former lead Case Manager at Open House is the one to ask.

“The first 90 days is a stabilization period for new residents. It gives them time to settle in to their new home and adjust to a scheduled routine. Just as important, it allows us to establish a relationship with them. As we build trust and respect, they begin to realize that the shelter is a safe and secure place and community in which to live. They can have faith in someone and know they won’t be abandoned. It’s during this time that we often find out that the reason(s) they stated during the intake process are not the real reasons they are homeless.”

Case managers help residents establish routine, accountability and prioritizing. This may mean getting up early to get a chore done before class, getting children to daycare or on the school bus on time or making sure their room is ready for room check each morning. There is a lot of re-directing of residents, helping them to problem-solve crises in their life – and teaching them how to identify what is an immediate crisis and what can be dealt with later on.

With the help of their case manager, residents become part of the Open House community and learn what it means to be a good neighbor.  Renee sums up the overall goal of the program:

“We want to model the behaviors that need to be taught. We want to be influential. There is a lot of grace to be given. Our goal is that residents will rise up to be leaders in the house and come along-side new residents when they walk through our doors.”

Contributed by JoAnne Harris

Stacking Stones

One normal Monday morning, I was leading a Bible class at Open House, as we talked about “generational sin” – where the consequences of wrongdoing in one generation can visit the next generation and the next. A young dad named Tony pounded his fist on the table and stated, “That does it! It has to stop here; I am becoming the very man to my boys that my father was to me!” Tony’s father had been in prison much of his childhood, yet his dad’s choices still powerfully influenced his son’s life. Tony found freedom in Christ at Open House; and this “breakthrough” in class remains a day to be remembered going forward.

In 1757, a 22-year old pastor wrote, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” A few partial stanzas may stir your memories:
“Come, Thou Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise……”
“Here I raise my Ebenezer; hither by Thy help I’m come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home……”

So just what is an “Ebenezer?” In I Samuel 7:12, Israel’s prophet Samuel erected a monument of stones to recall instances of GOD’s faithfulness not only in in the past, but reminding new generations of GOD’s love for today and in the future. Tony’s story is not just one of a young man who finds life, but is one of generational healing, freedom and forgiveness into another generation and beyond. Together with you, our faithful supporters, we can gladly stack another stone to this monument depicting GOD’s provision.

This Ebenezer at Open House has grown now for thirty years! Every week at Open House brings great challenges and changes. But thanks be to GOD, that He has shown Himself trustworthy and true in the past, by which encourages us for the future. Together with you, we raise a mound of stones of remembrance as we recall GOD’s moment-by-moment presence and routine miracles at Open House Ministries. We honor you as co-laborers in stacking stones with us in our work with our homeless families.

Contributed by Mark Roskam, Chaplain